World versus USA: United Nations Vote for Truce between Israel and Hamas

120 votes in favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions (including Ukraine). 53 UN staff members confirmed killed in Gaza.

"Adoption of a non-binding Jordanian resolution on Friday afternoon in New York by a large majority of Member States, with 120 votes in favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions.”

The United Nations Assembly (UNGA) held a special meeting on Thursday and Friday. The resolution considered was filed by Jordan, requesting a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and that a humanitarian corridor to Gaza be opened. It began with an impassioned plea by Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s representative to the UN, and he was followed by many others.

The vote was the consequence of 4 failed resolutions handled by the minority United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

The world overwhelming voted for human rights but has no teeth. An Assembly result is non-binding. The United Nations, like NATO, represents the interests of the USA and not its mission statement which is to:

“Maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace.”

Voting with the USA was a bunch of islands tied to it by military bases and aid packages. Vanuatu, which always votes with the USA to maintain sanctions against Cuba, oddly abstained.

Notably, many of the USA’s allies, realising the volatility of the situation in the Middle East, also sat on the fence. These included Australia, Canada, Germany, Finland, Ethiopia and the United Kingdom. But Canada tried and failed to add an amendment for the explicit condemnation of Hamas.

Unsurprisingly, with the threat of its promised missiles diverted to Israel, Ukraine abstained too.

France, despite President Emmanuel Macron’s recent buddy-buddy trip to Israel, voted for peace, likely forced by its tricky relationship with Lebanon and Arab Africa.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, said:

“Let the passing of the draft resolution be a message to Palestinians suffering the inferno of this Israeli war on them, let it be a message that the international community sees them, feel their pain and believes that Palestinian lives matter too.”

Israel ignored the UN resolution, escalating it’s attack overnight. It blocked cellphone and internet connection to Gaza, and sent in tanks.

53 UNITED NATIONS STAFF KILLED IN GAZA

Stéphane Dujarric, spokeperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, released his statement on the situation in Gaza:

“The humanitarian system in Gaza is facing a total collapse with unimaginable consequences for more than 2 million civilians.

As the bombing intensifies, needs are growing ever more critical and colossal.

About 500 trucks per day were crossing into Gaza before the hostilities began.

In recent days, an average of only 12 trucks per day have been able to go in, despite needs being far greater than they were at any time before.

In addition, the supplies that have trickled in do not include fuel for United Nations operations — fuel which is also essential to power hospitals, water desalination plants, food production and aid distribution.

Given the desperate and dramatic situation, the United Nations will not be able to continue to deliver inside Gaza without an immediate and fundamental shift in how aid is going in.

The verification system for the movement of goods through the Rafah crossing must be adjusted to allow for more trucks to enter Gaza without delay.

We must meet the expectations and the core needs of civilians in Gaza.

Life-saving humanitarian aid — food, water, medicine, fuel — must be allowed to reach all civilians swiftly, safely and at scale.

The Secretary-General welcomes the growing global consensus for a humanitarian pause in the conflict and he repeats his call for a humanitarian ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages, and the delivery of life-saving supplies at the scale needed.

Misery is growing by the minute.

Without a fundamental change, the people of Gaza will face an unprecedented avalanche of human suffering.

Everyone must assume their responsibilities.  This is a moment of truth.  History will judge us.”

Dujarric added that:

“53 staff members of UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) have been confirmed killed as of today in Gaza…

Lynn Hastings, the Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, briefed reporters in Geneva today, saying there are about 1.4 million people displaced in Gaza now and nearly 630,000 of those are in UNRWA shelters. Most of the shelters are at least at 2.5 times their capacity.”

MEDIA QUESTION, SURPRISING ANSWER

A sensational Q&A session with the Media followed.

Normally, the Spokesperson is evasive on controversial matters but contradicted President Joe Biden’s dismissal of Palestinian casualty figures.

However, the UN was criticised for treating the deaths of their colleagues in Gaza differently to the way they had previously addressed less elsewhere.

Israel’s assassination of an Al Jazeera journalist’s family was mentioned.

Channel 13 journalist Zvi Yehezkeli admits Israel purposefully and premeditatedly murdered the family of Al Jazeera Gaza bureau chief Wael Dahdouh: “Generally we know the target. For example, today there was a target: the family of an Al Jazeera reporter. In general, we know.” https://t.co/sOJk8uNMMc

— David Sheen (@davidsheen) October 26, 2023 (thanks to Naked Capitalism for sharing this and more)

Notably, Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has not returned UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ call.